KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY FROM GUNSHOTAppointed: 12, 1917End of Watch: October 5, 1919

Three times between midnight and morning street corners in South Philadelphia were the scenes of shooting affrays in which a negro policeman was shot to death and seven men wounded by more than half a hundred bullets.

When he came upon a crap game being played under the arc light at the corner of Thirteenth and Rodman streets.

Policeman Charles Jones was 35 years old at the time of his death. He lived at 1228 Lombard Street a plain clothes officer of the Twelfth and Pine Street station was set upon by the four players at once.

When Jones drew his blackjack to defend himself. Charles Miller a negro 24-year-old, 1133 South Patton street, pulled out a revolver placed it at the officer’s right temple and fired. Postmortem examination showed that the force of the shot threw Jones head back so violently that his neck was broken. The policeman fell, but he lived and retained consciousness long enough to draw his own revolver. As he lay on the ground he fires after the fleeing crowd with such good aim that he shot Charles Miller through the wrist, and his brother Elijah one of the players through the back.

The four-player halted in his flight long enough to fire two more shots at Jones. One of those shots passed through his abdomen and one his back. He died immediately.

As the slayers fled Patrolman Jordan a colored officer of the Twelfth and Pine Street station, noted for his marksmanship, pursued them. Two of the players escaped entirely and their names are unknown. The two Millers separated as they ran away from Officer Jordan, both were eventually captured and held without bail.

Officer Jones was taken to Polyclinic Hospital and pronounced dead. Charles and Elijah Miller were charged with homicide of Officer Jones.